The chief of Russia's general staff told President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that Russian forces had taken control of the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk, but Ukraine's military denied the city had changed hands.

Ukraine also dismissed Russian statements that its forces had taken over large parts of two other towns -- Pokrovsk, a logistics hub it has been pressing to capture for months, and Vovchansk, near the Russian border. Putin had visited the command post of the Russian forces "West" grouping, where he met with chief of staff Valery Gerasimov, and top military brass, the Kremlin said earlier.

Putin had been briefed on the situation in two key cities in Ukraine's east -- Kostiantynivka and Kramatorsk -- as well as around Kupiansk in Kharkiv region, the Kremlin said. "Units o

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